November 18, 2004

Calendar of local events

Unless otherwise noted all phone numbers are in the 408 area code.

MUSIC
November 27 – Saturday
Clay Aiken and Orchestra will perform for one night only at the Center for the Performing Arts in San Jose. Admission is $55 - $65 per person. For more information and show times, call 998-TIXS or visit www.apeconcerts.com.

November 20 – December 5
Opera San Jose presents Puccini’s “Tosca”at the beautifully renovated California Theater in downtown San Jose. This opera details the tragic tale of the beautiful singer Tosca, her lover Cavaradossi and the manipulative and betraying police chief of Rome, Scarpia. Admission is $20 for preview, $60 and $80. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 437-4450, or visit www.operasj.org.

THEATER
November 6 – December 4
The West Valley Light Opera Association’s 40th Season will open with “Big River” at the Saratoga Civic Theater, 13777 Fruitvale, on Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. with a champagne gala. Weekend performances will continue through December 4. This tony-award winning musical is based on Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” This production is directed by Becky W. Brownson. For reservations and additional information, call 268-3777 or visit www.wvlo.org.

MEETINGS
Ongoing:
The Billy De Frank Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, 938 The Alameda n San Jose, hosts a weekly “Coming Out Group” which offers a safe space to explore different subjects. Topics include how to come out to yourself, and how to comfortably live and work as a gay or lesbian in the larger community. All groups are run by trained facilitators in a closed door meeting room. This group meets every Wednesday from 7 – 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 293-3040 or visit www.defrank.org.
Las Madres Adoption Group is a wonderful support system for those who have gone through the adoption process and are looking to share the joys and challenges of parenting an adopted child. We have regular play dates for newborns-5 years old and monthly “mom’s night out”. For more information, contact Barb Griswold at barbgris@aol.com or call toll free 1-877-LasMadres.
Oakridge Century Theatres in association with Las Madres Neighborhood Playgroups presents CineMamas! A morning out to the movies for moms and their little ones. This group meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m., There are three showings to choose from, baby-safe sound levels, cheerios at the concession stand and a relaxing atmosphere with other moms who understand kids are kids! Check CineMamas.com for a weekly update on what is showing. Kids under 3 are free!
Le Tip International, a business leads networking group meets every Tuesday at 7:15 a.m. at Denny’s Restaurant, 1140 Hillsdale Aveue. For more information, call 298-9131.

CLASSES
Ongoing
Fine Art Lesssons: Fine Art Classes in Watercolor, Oil and Soft Pastel with Gillian Lane Altieri, at the New Almaden Community Center, Friday mornings from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Beginning and intermediate classes, all skill levels are invited. $20 per lesson or $60 per month (3-4 lessons).Call 268-2990 for information and materials lists.
Evergreen Village Square (Ruby at Aborn) offers a wide variety of performing arts classes for all ages. All elementary age classes are on Saturday afternoons and run for approximately 12 weeks per session. Adult and teen 12-week acting workshops are held on Friday evenings. For more information or to enroll, call 230-7873.
The New Almaden Community Center will be hosting a weekly yoga class on Mon/Wed/Fri. at 6 a.m. and on Tues/Thurs. at 7 a.m. Attendees should bring their own yoga mats, however, there are a limited number of pads available. For more information, contact Tara at 997-9383. Class fees are $6 each or $24 per week. Classes are appropriate for both beginner and intermediate levels.
ACE Tennis Academy offers tennis instruction for boys and girls ages 7-17, from beginner to tournament level players. Classes are offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. For more information and registration, phone 650-302-4250 or e-mail acetennis@sbcglobal.net.

HEALTH
Ongoing:
Bay Area Alzheimer’s Association now includes meetings at Kaiser Santa Teresa. Meetings are held in the San Jose Kaiser Family Health Center, Conference Room C, 3rd Floor, located at 276 International Circle. For more information call 800-660-1993

FIFTY PLUS
Ongoing:
SeniorNet, computer classes for adults 50 and over still has openings in the following classes: Computer Fundamentals, e-mail A-Z, Managing Your Files, Photoshop Elements, CD Burning, Word Processing 1, Windows XP, Computer Security and Finding Things and People on the Web. To enroll in any of the course openings, contact Don House at 268-1703.
AARP Information Center needs volunteers to staff their office. Duties include helping seniors find various services and programs, and providing information on senior needs. The office is located at 840 Willow Street, Suite 300, at the corner of Bird and Willow Streets on bus route #25. The hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call 278-1855.
The Geriatric Advisory Program is a service providing documented analysis, advice and resources to those caring for aging family members and is available through the Almaden Valley Counseling Service. Sliding scale fees available. 975-2988.

CHILDREN/FAMILY EVENTS
November 17 – December 15
Campbell’s historic Ainsley House, 300 Grant Street in downtown Campbell, presents its popular Holiday Tea and Tour series, featuring a silver-service afternoon tea served with finger sandwiches, savories and sweets, followed by a 45-minute docent-led tour of the 1925 English Tudor revival Ainsley house. This years’ theme, “Glittering Gold and Silver Holiday” will be an inspirational “treasure” of decorating ideas. Teas are at 2 p.m. followed by the tour. The program is a $25 donation per person on weekends, $20 per person during the weekday. For reservations, call 370-0888.

November 20 - Saturday
The California Theatre Center (CTC) presents The “Journey of Lewis and Clark” at the Sunnyvale Community Center Theatre, 550 East Remington Drive (just off El Camino Real), at 11 am. Come celebrate the bicentennial of the incredible journey by explorers Lewis and Clark, and their Shoshone Indian guide, Sacagawea. This is the true story of these remarkable men who navigated and named two-thirds of the North American continent, from St. Louis to the Pacific Northwest. Tickets are $11 - $12 per person. Call 245-2978 for reservations. For more information, visit www.ctcinc.org.

November 20 – 21
Holy Family Educational Center, 4850 Pearl, will be hosting their annual Holiday Boutique from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. This event will feature over 50 vendors, Gingerbread House Decorating, crafts for children, and raffles. Fro more information, call 978-1355.

November 25 – December 31
The 6th Annual Fantasy of Lights extravaganza will once again delight visitors at Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos. This drive-through tour features over 30 light displays. This evening event will be held from 6 – 10 p.m. For more information, visit www.fantasyoflights.com or call 355-2201.

November 26 – Friday
Company members from American Ice Theatre will perform “Maria’s Dream” in celebration of Ballet San Jose’s “The Nutcracker.” The performance is part of the Downtown Ice Grand Opening at the new location for the outdoor ice rink in the Circle of Palms next to the Fairmont Hotel in downtown San Jose. This is a free event. For more information, visit www.americanicetheatre.org

VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES
Ongoing:
Volunteers Needed for Tax Preparation The City of San José’s, Office on Aging in conjunction with AARP Tax-Aide, the IRS and the Metropolitan Adult Education Program provides a free tax-training program that prepares volunteers to assist seniors and lower income clients with their tax returns. Training classes will be held from October 18 – December 15, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. All classes will be at the Willows Senior Center, 2175 Lincoln Avenue in San Jose. For more information, call Tracey Giglione at 277-4790.

MISCELLANEOUS
November 20 - Saturday
La Rochelle Winery, 3000 Aborn Road in San Jose, will be hosting a Candelight Dinner. Each course will be prepared by Chef de Cuisine, David Page, is paired with the appropriate La Rochelle wine. Held in the Barrel Room, this elegant eight course dinner begins at 6:30 pm with a tasting reception followed by dinner featuring Pan Roasted Loin of Lamb as the main entrée. The price is $97 per person. For more information and reservations call 274-4000.

November 20 – Saturday
Soroptimist International of Silicon Valley Announces Holiday Boutique Soroptimist International of Silicon Valley, (SISV), a local chapter of a worldwide service organization whose mission is to make a difference for women and girls, will hold a fundraising “Holiday Boutique” from 9 am to 6 pm. at the Odd Fellows Hall, 276 East Campbell in downtown Campbell. The proceeds from this event will go towards numerous projects supported by SISV., including Next Door Solutions, Womens Opportuity Award and The Violet Richardson Award. The boutique will feature a wide range of products, including jewelry, fabric art, cosmetics and paper made by local artists will be available for purchase.

November 26 – 28
Get the jump on the holiday shopping season! The San Jose McEnery Convention Center will host a Harvest Festival featuring over 300 artisans with one-of-a-kind handcrafted gift items including jewelry, photographs, paintings, pottery, home décor and much more. Admission is $4.50 - &8.50 call 800-321-1213 or visit www.harvestfestival.com for more information.

December 2 – 3
The Summit League presents its annual Home for the Holidays Tour, featuring three distinct homes in Monte Sereno and Saratoga decorated by leading Bay Area floral and interior designers. This event will also feature a boutique offering holiday greenery and gift items. Proceeds from this event will benefit Washington United Youth Center in downtown San Jose. Tickets are $35 - $45 each. For more information, visit www.ccsj.org.


HAVE AN ITEM FOR OUR CALENDAR?

We are seeking calendar items pertaining to the south bay communities we cover in our seven monthly community newspapers: Blossom Valley, Cambrian, Campbell, Evergreen, Santa Teresa, Willow Glen, Fifty Plus, and our weekly publication, Almaden Times Weekly. Items must be submitted by email or fax several weeks before the event. Send an email to candy@timesmediainc.com or fax to Candy Richter at 494-7078. Photos should be sent digitally as jpegs or mailed to Calendar, Times Newspapers, 1310 Tully Road, Ste. 107, San Jose, CA 95122. Due to the large volume of items received calendar requests left on voice mail cannot be used. Space is limited.